Cleveland Browns execs talk analytics, quarterbacks

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Paul DePodesta and Sashi Brown

Cleveland Browns execs talk analytics, quarterbacks

Paul DePodesta and Sashi Brown

BEREA, Ohio– It’s been a busy three weeks for the Cleveland Browns.

Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown and Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta held a news conference Thursday afternoon. They talked about the team’s quarterback situation, the new head coach and DePodesta’s background in analytics.

DePodesta spent time in the front offices of the Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics and New York Mets, and is part of the inspiration behind the movie “Moneyball.”

“For me, it’s not just about numbers or algorithms; it’s about a mindset,” DePodesta said. “I’m not really here to be an analytics guy.” He said it’s about transforming this organization into a championship franchise.

Brown and DePodesta agreed a quarterback is key to a winning team. Both execs said they are still assessing whether the man for the job is already in the locker room, or if they’ll find him in the NFL Draft or free agency.

“We need a guy who can be here for a number of years,” Brown said. “We’re happy to have Josh (McCown) in the building and obviously, Johnny (Manziel) on the roster.”

But when asked about how the team plans to handle Manziel, Brown said they need to be clear on expectations.

“How much can we do? Johnny is individual, he’s a man,” Brown said. “I think it’s important he understands perfectly the situation he is in.”

Brown said he met with Cleveland offensive lineman Joe Thomas just days after the season ended.

“He’s a great asset to our organization on and off the field,” Brown said. “Joe is like us, very competitive. His questions for us were largely about how we’re going to win.”

Last week, the Browns announced Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson as the team’s new head coach.

More changes to the coaching staff are likely as league sources say Cleveland hired Ray Horton as defensive coordinator and parted ways with offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.

“Hue is obviously going to be a huge influence on everything we do,” DePodesta says about new head coach Jackson. “We’re not all clones of each other.” He emphasizes they all are bringing something different to the table.

DePodesta on how he got connecting with Haslam and the Browns: Says Jimmy and Dee went on a quest to learn more about football, met with execs from different teams in different sports. DePodesta met with the Haslams shortly after the World Series.

“It’s true in baseball, it’s certainly true in football,” DePodesta says about the human factor and the amount of uncertainty in the sport. “Even with the best intentions, we’re still going to be wrong… Some things won’t work out.”

Did Brown and DePodesta get an assurance from Haslam that they will get time to make this changes? DePodesta says the team will be better off one year from now than they were today. “I think Jimmy and Dee really want to do this right. That was what made an impression on me. They were earnest, they were genuine.”

Sashi Brown says he has already met with Joe Thomas, days after the Steelers game. “He’s a great asset to our organization on and off the field… Joe is like us, very competitive. His questions for us were largely about how we’re going to win.”